What you think does matter

Read Chapter:   One   Two   Three   Four   Five    Six   Seven The Hidden Monster War Battle in The Tower Chapter Eight It roared, the sound reverberating through the outpost like a physical force. It turned with terrifying speed, its claws swiping through the air and catching Brady mid-movement. He was sent flying, his body slamming into the wall with a sickening thud. The crack of the impact echoed in the confined space, and my chest tightened as I gasped, fear clawing at my throat. Mia’s scream cut through the chaos, shrill and trembling with raw panic. She scrambled to her feet, her movements frantic and uncoordinated. Tears streaked her face, catching the flickering firelight as she lurched toward him. Her hands trembled as she reached out, but the chaos wasn’t over. “We need to move,” Brady said, his voice rough but steady despite the sweat beading on his forehead. His hands were still bleeding from the earlier fight, the cuts staining his s...

I stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the creaks and groans of our old house. I wasn’t scared—no, not scared—because monsters weren’t real. That’s what my dad always said. “Big boys aren’t afraid of the dark, Simon. There’s nothing there.” But tonight, the shadows seemed different, deeper somehow. My bed felt smaller, like the darkness was closing in around me. My parents had gone to an important dinner, leaving me with Sarah, a quiet girl who barely said two words since they’d left. She sat glued to the TV downstairs while I was stuck up here, alone. The clock on my nightstand blinked 9:47 PM in glowing red numbers. I rolled over, squeezing my eyes shut, when I heard it. Eeee-creeeeak. The door. My door. Slowly opening. I sat up, my heart hammering in my chest. The hallway outside was empty—at least, that’s what it looked like. “Sarah?” I called, my voice shaking. No answer. The door, which I had closed tightly, now hung ajar, its hinges whining like something had pushed it open....